“Yep,” I lied.
“Talking to the press without approval is against your contract.”
“I’m not talking to the press. I’m hanging out with Heidi.”
“Son, her livelihood depends on this article. I don’t think you know the kind of pressure that puts on a person. You’ve always had a home and good food. You’ve got enough for that Corvette and with an investment plan, you’re set for life.”
“I know, Dad.”
“But it’s not so easy for other people.”
I looked at him straight in the eye. I heard the underlying message and I tried to project confidence that I knew what I was doing. Which was a total lie, but he didn’t need to know that. “I know how lucky I am, and I’m not going to blow it.”
“Seems to me, her just being here is a violation of your contract—”
“Of my contract,” I said right with him. God, I was so sick of the business of sports. Hard to believe that I’d be nostalgic about playing Little League on a crappy field with parents who hated it when I outshone their kids. “Dad, trust me. I’ve got it handled.”
He frowned and shuffled his feet. His expression was awkward, and that made alarm bells go off in my head. Then he spoke, and it was ten times worse.
“Look, I understand the lure of the exotic. Hell, I had buddies back from the army told me plenty about Asian girls. That’s fine for a bit, but we’re meatloaf and macaroni people. Don’t risk everything just for a taste of the wild.”
I stared at him, my mind stumbling to a halt. Did he seriously think I was with Heidi because she wasChinese?“She’s not exotic, Dad. She’s a girl.” And yeah, I got off on her long black hair and her smooth yellow-gold skin, not to mention that mischievous way she could look at me through her almond eyes. But that was because it was allher, not because of her heritage.
I could tell he didn’t believe me. And I guess for him, Chinese was exotic. There weren’t many Asians in Broken Bow, Nebraska. But I lived in a major city and had friends of all ethnicities. He’d see she was perfect once he got to know her better. Meanwhile, I pulled on my T-shirt and grabbed the wastebasket, then waited while my dad watched me with worried eyes. In the end, he just shook his head.
“You’re playing at a level where I can’t help you, son. I don’t know jack about reporters or multimillion-dollar contracts.”
He knew plenty. Running a farm required big-dollar contracts and navigating a world of unpredictable forces. But I didn’t argue with him. I was too anxious to get back to Heidi.
“But I do know something about women,” he said gently. “You got the liars and the straight shooters.”
“Heidi isn’t a liar.”
“Nope. She’s a straight shooter. And she just told you this was a dumb idea. Seems to me, a smart man would listen.”
I smiled. I couldn’t help it. My dad had just told me he liked Heidi. Sure it was in a backhanded way, but that was the message I cared about. The rest was just a repeat of an old song.
“I’ve got it under control, Dad.”
“Yeah,” he drawled as he stepped back from the door. “That’s what I thought when I took your mom’s sister out to a movie.”
I snorted. That was a famous story in our house. Dad had been interested in the prettier, more dynamic sister and had asked her out for a date. According to Mom, she’d let them go, just to watch the disaster. Dad would never tolerate Aunt Donna’s antics. She had an irrational need for attention—something I saw in Brittany, too. Aunt Donna led my father on a merry dance until Mom stepped in and told him to get his head out of his ass. They were married a year later, and Dad still wondered why Mom hadn’t set him straight months earlier.
I chuckled as I slugged him lightly on the arm. Then together, we headed out to the main living area. I could smell the meatloaf heating in the microwave and grinned as I saw what Mom was doing. She was walking Heidi through the Wall of Accomplishments—photographs of everyone in the family, excelling at anything they’d done. Mom was up there with her blue ribbon–winning pie, as well as Dad getting an award from the Nebraska Agricultural Society. My sister’s graduation and CPA certification, plus wedding photos occupied one corner. Currently, Mom was discussing my army brother’s deployment in the Middle East. A few key baseball photos hung for me, but the largest was my framed college diploma. I’d finished through an online school since I’d already been playing in the minors, but Mom was big on me finding something to do after baseball. Dad, however, loved to stroke the picture of me in my Bobcats uniform.
I set down the wastebasket and smiled when Heidi looked my way. “Mom talking your ear off?” I asked.
“She’s been lovely,” Heidi said, her voice a little hoarse. I wondered what that was about, but the microwave dinged and distracted me.
“Come, come eat,” Mom said as she bustled into the kitchen. We did, including my dad who grabbed a piece of blueberry pie, his favorite.
Heidi hesitated, but I silently pressured her into staying. I saw her shrug and settle in to eat. The food was just like I remembered, and I could feel the pressures of the national spotlight flowing off me like water. I was home. Even if I destroyed my career tomorrow, I would still have this waiting for me in Nebraska. Family, good food, and a place to regroup.
Then I looked at Heidi and had a thought that sizzled straight through my brain, like a lightning bolt that blew everything up with a big, electrical boom.
I wanted Heidi in my life.
It made no sense. Despite what I’d said to my parents, we’d spent less than twenty-four hours together. They’d been great hours. The best in my life, outside of baseball. But it was still only a few hours. No way could I make any kind of logical decision about her and my life. Together.
